Jeremie Frimpong: I want to be first-choice at Celtic

Jeremie Frimpong’s ambitions at Celtic include becoming the first-choice right-back at the club.

The young Dutchman told of his Hoops dream today after making an impressive first impression over the last few weeks.

Frimpong opened his Celtic career with a debut performance against Partick Thistle. Not many took much notice given it was against Championship opposition. However, his performance and assist in the 6-0 routing of Ross County on Saturday was a serious eye-opener.

“I’m enjoying it a lot – I’m really grateful and I’m going to keep working hard to keep it going. I’m going to work as hard as I can to keep making the fans, my teammates and the manager proud.

“The fans are great and they’ve been amazing to me so far. I think I can bring a lot to the team. Attacking and defensively. I’d love to make myself first-choice.

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“I’ve always looked at Dani Alves and how he plays. I’ve always looked up to him. I’m going to be patient and work hard to be ready for Sunday.”

Does Frimpong start against Aberdeen on Sunday?

We all know that Frimpong isn’t in Celtic’s Europa League squad. Therefore, he can’t take part in the contest against Lazio this Thursday night.

Frimpong’s Manchester City performances inspired Celtic to make a move (Manchester City FC/Manchester City FC via Getty Images)

However, come Sunday afternoon when Celtic head up to Pittodrie for a lunch-time kick-off, he may be right in the picture for a start. There’s no denying that his profile has been heightened. But it’s also important to keep our feet on the ground regarding the Dutchman.

In our last two domestic away matches, Neil Lennon has gone for Moritz Bauer to start at right-back. But whether he manages a third consecutive away game is seriously debatable after Frimpong’s display on Saturday.

Hatem Abd Elhamed is the favourite to start against Lazio on Thursday. He’s played in all European matches for Celtic since he joined the club. Elhamed seems to be Lenny’s favourite for high-profile games, and therefore he shouldn’t be ruled out for an appearance at Pittodrie either.

This isn’t a throwaway game on Sunday. Lennon has to collect what will be a crucial three points if we pull it off. If Frimpong is selected, it has to be because he’s the right choice for the game, not because he’s getting so much publicity all of a sudden.

Lennon has never been one to choose his team based on such irrational thought, however. We’ll all back him whoever he selects on Sunday. And, for many supporters, we’re all just relieved to see the club looking so strong at right-back all of a sudden.

David is a keen writer who's always looking to engage readers in his content. He has a strong knowledge of Scottish and English football - writing content on the Scottish game since the beginning of his studies in 2014.